Props To Party

This is Paint Party, well that is her registered name but we just call her Party. She is a purebred Boer doe that was born on our farm. Party is one of my favorite does, she is usually very laid back and doesn't let much bother her. Party is a first time mom this year and since these would be her first kids I was trying to keep a close eye on her before she kidded. I usually set my alarm and check on goats that are very close to kidding several times during the night but in my sleepy haze I must have set my alarm wrong after checking on her at midnight. So it was about six hours later before I woke up to check on her again and it was getting light outdoors.

I went out to find Party didn't need my help or supervision at all (Not that I thought she would). She must have waited that night until I went in the house to start having her kids. Truth be known she was probably thinking "Finally, I didn't think that nosy person would ever leave! Time to get to business!" By first light she had two new, clean and well fed babies, which she was protectively standing over. She would nuzzle and nudge them and it was quite obvious she learned from her mom Hope all the lessons of being a great goat mom.
In fact she must have picked up a few new mom tricks of her own because when my husband Jamey went in the pen to see the new kids she promptly threatened to bite him! Now normally this would be very bad behavior from a goat but to be honest this is a good sign in a new first time mother like Party. She is normally a very easy going girl but at that moment she had new babies and was just being protective of them.

Party also snorted a warning at the cat, which happened to be D.C, our resident goat greeter. She is a cat that hates worm pills and other cats but she LOVES goats...go figure. D.C the cat is a little bit like that person at Wal-Mart that stands by the carts, she is just there to say hi and thank you for being a goat on our farm! If she had thumbs she would probably pass out smiley face stickers to all the new "kids" too. When Party lowered her head and stamped her feet, D.C. got the hint and went on her way to find another goat to greet. The over-protective behavior of Party will get better as she realizes what is truly a threat to her precious new kids and what isn't but personally I am proud of her! She is going to be a great, protective mother and that always deserves props on our farm!